He Woos Fans in Two Languages

Marc Anthony was in a frisky mood Monday, opening a two-night stand at the Greek Theatre. The skinny singer skipped across the stage like a happy-go-lucky kid in pale blue jeans, even acting giddy at times. Between songs, he bounced in place like a jumping jack, turned pirouettes and did a little soft shoe.

His relentlessly upbeat performance may have surprised those expecting more introspection from the avowed family man who reportedly just split from his wife of two years. The popular Puerto Rican singer showed not a shred of genuine heartbreak during an energetic 85-minute set that included tear-jerkers in two languages.

He seemed to hurry through his saddest songs. Technically, his delivery was exquisite on his romantic salsa smash “Hasta Que Te Conoci” (Until I Met You), a yearning Juan Gabriel tune that builds rhythmically and emotionally in swirls around the singer’s mournful moaning.

But the song ended abruptly, and maybe a minute too soon. That was immediately followed by “She Mends Me,” from his latest English-language album, “Mended.” Despite its despondent lyrics, Marc Anthony giggled at the end in one of his frequent friendly exchanges with ecstatic fans.

“Feel the love in the air,” urged the singer, who wore dark glasses throughout the show.

Those seated close to the front may have gleaned a reason for the artist’s soaring spirit. The devoted father occasionally blew kisses toward his young son, spotted off-stage in the arms of his supposedly estranged wife.

Whether their presence signaled a reconciliation or not (his publicist had no comment), Marc Anthony still stands at a crossroads in his career. As one of the so-called crossover stars in Latin music, he has tried to woo fans in two languages, with recent albums of different material in Spanish and English.

That’s not easy, as evidenced by Monday’s near-capacity audience, which was overwhelmingly Latino.

His new English album was panned by critics and has failed to yield a hit with the breakthrough power of 1999’s edgy “I Need to Know,” offered Monday in a faster and less effective version as an encore. More indicative of trouble may be the fact that he chose only one song from the new salsa album, “Libre.” That number, “Celos” (Jealousy), could easily have been excluded without hurting the program or leaving fans feeling cheated.

This forgettable salsa album was marred by a dispute with songwriters when the singer made an unusual demand for shared credits for his improvisational vocals. But for someone so interested in composer’s rights, it’s odd that Marc Anthony doesn’t acknowledge on stage the songwriters who played such a strong role in making him a superstar.

His concert would seem incomplete without that vintage gem by Mexico’s Gabriel. And the singer himself introduced another of his salsa hits, 1995’s “Nadie Como Ella” (Nobody Like Her), as “the Super Bowl of salsa songs.” Though a vast exaggeration, he could have cited composer Omar Alfanno, who must be the MVP of salsa songwriters.

There’s one thing for which Marc Anthony deserves unqualified credit: being a most natural exponent of bicultural pop music. On stage, he makes his reggae version of the Eagles’ “Hotel California” fit seamlessly with salsa standards and pop ballads.

The challenge for this talented vocalist is to keep finding great songs to fuel both sides of his career. For that, he needs writers more than they need him.